70.62 County tax rate.

(1) County board to determine. The county board shall determine by resolution the amount of taxes to be levied in its county for the year.

(3) Omitted tax. Whenever the county board of any county shall fail to apportion against any town, city or village thereof in any year any state, county or school tax or any part thereof properly chargeable thereto, such county board shall, in any succeeding year, apportion such taxes against such town, city or village and add the proper amount thereof to the amount of the current annual tax then apportioned thereto.

(4) Exemption from levy.

(a) If a county levies a tax under sub. (1) for operating or maintaining, or providing services to, an airport, for public health services, or economic development services, a town located in the county, and on Madeline Island, shall be exempt from the taxes levied for such purposes if the town applies to the county for an exemption no later than September 1 of the year to which the exemption relates and the town provides documentation with the application that indicates that the town levies a tax for the same purpose that is at least equal to the amount calculated as follows:

1. Divide the amount of tax the county levied in the prior year for operating or maintaining, or providing services to, an airport, for public health services, or economic development services, less any amount levied for capital expenditures, by the equalized valuation of property in that area of the county that was subject to the county property tax levy for such services in the prior year.

2. Multiply the amount determined under subd. 1. by the equalized valuation of property in the town for the current year.

(am) The county board shall make a decision to approve or disapprove an application received under par. (a), and notify the applicant of its decision, no later than 30 days after the date on which it receives the application. If the county board disapproves an application under par. (a) the town may appeal the county board's decision to the circuit court of the county.

(b) For purposes of par. (a), “public health services" includes emergency fire, ambulance, and medical services and operating or maintaining a community health care clinic. For purposes of par. (a), “economic development services" includes providing community, business, and economic development information and assistance services and programs, loans, surveys, design assistance, site preparation and infrastructure for brownfield development, administrative assistance, and permitting assistance.

(c) No county may increase its levy on any municipality to compensate for granting the exemption under par. (a).

History: 1973 c. 90, 333; 1975 c. 39, 80, 200, 224; 1977 c. 113 ss. 5, 6; 1977 c. 142; 1977 c. 418 ss. 482 to 487, 929 (42); 1979 c. 34, 122; 1979 c. 175 s. 51; 1979 c. 346 s. 15; 1981 c. 20, 61, 93; 1983 a. 27, 275; 1985 a. 29; 1997 a. 35; 2013 a. 282.